Last week I tried making a dent in my reading pile; this is what I read with a brief synopsis:
Black Butler Vol. 5: This one is all about the curry as Sebastian tries to concoct the winning recipe. There’s not much to this volume so it’s not one of my favorites. Since I missed reading Volume 4, perhaps it would have been more meaningful to me if I had read it. The first three volumes had a certain darkness to them that made them interesting, which seems to be missing in this latest issue. I love the artwork in this series,as stylistically it’s very interesting.Black Butler is by Yana Toboso and is published by Yen Press rated for older teens.
Tegami Bachi : Letter Bee Volume 5: In this volume we get a little background of what motivates Zazie and why his amber “resonates with his hatred”. We also learn about the tragic tale of Sarah and Hunt as well as the truth behind “the man who cannot be spirit” and its connection to Gauche’s disappearance. Speaking of Guache, he finally makes an appearance but he leaves as sea of tears in his wake.This series is always emotionally intense, the whole series carries a feeling of misfortune, it's no wonder poor Lag Seeing is always in tears. I really like this series. Hiroyuki Asada crafts a world that really feels alive, and his artwork is so breathtakingly beautiful even the enemy Gaichuu shine like jewels.
Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee is by Hiroyuki Asada published by Viz Media under the Shonen Jump label and is rated for teens.
Bakuman 4: There is a riff between Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi. Is it over for them? Anyway, even if they were still together, can two high school students possibly handle being in school and having a series in jump at the same time? These questions and more are answered in this latest volume. Say what you will, but I always feel energised after reading this series. I enjoy the writing, it’s full of suspense and strategising that seem to follow somewhat logical reasoning. This manga is heavy on the words but still manages to balance with the art work. This is the same formula that makes Death Note work so well. Bakuman is by Tsugumi Ohba and Tekeshi Obata and is published by Viz Media under the Shonen Jump label and is rated T for teens.
Lychee Light Club: Well, where to start? This is probably the darkest manga I’ve read so far. I know it has been compared to Lord of the Flies but shamefully I haven’t read that, for some odd reason Rocky Horror Picture Show and Sweeny Todd popped into my mind (without the music of course). The fact that this manga is an adaptation of a theatrical production Tokyo Grand Guignol’s Lychee Light Club, might explain the book’s theatrical feel. There are several themes running through this story such as: puberty and the fear of ageing, what it means to be human, how to define beauty, trust and betrayal and so much more. The difficult part about this manga is that it's ultra violent, highly sexualized and it is particularly nasty towards women. Having said that, the fact that this manga can generate so much discussion is a testament to its strength. There is a great review/discussion on the Lychee Light Club that can be found at the Manga Curmudgeon here.
Lychee Light Club is by Usamaru Furuya and is published by Vertical and is rated 18+ (strong warnings here).